Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 85:11
Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
11. Truth springeth out of the earth;
And righteousness hath looked down from heaven. (R.V.)
Truth springs up as a natural growth in response to God’s manifestation of His saving righteousness. Harmony between earth and heaven is perfected. Cp. Hos 2:21 ff.; Isa 45:8. Milton must have had this passage in his mind in the Ode on the Nativity:
Yea, truth and justice then
Will down return to men,
Orb’d in a rainbow; and, like glories wearing,
Mercy will sit between,
Throned in celestial sheen,
With radiant feet the tissued clouds down steering;
And heaven, as at some festival,
Will open wide the gates of her high palace hall.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Truth shall spring out of the earth – As plants do – for this is the meaning of the word. The blessings of truth and righteousness would be like the grass, the shrubs, the flowers, which spring up from the ground – and like the, rain and the sunbeams which come from heaven. Truth would spring up everywhere, and abound in all lands, as plants, and shrubs, and grass spring up all over the earth. There is not an intended contrast between the two clauses of this verse, as if truth came from the earth, and righteousness from heaven; but the idea is that they would come in a manner that might be compared with the way in which Gods other abundant blessings are bestowed, as springing, on the one hand, from the fertility of the earth, and on the other, from the rain, the dew, and the sunbeam.
And righteousness shall look down from heaven – Shall descend from heaven; or shall come from above – as if the rain, and the sun looked down from heaven, and saw the needs of man. The original word here rendered look down – shaqaph – means to lay upon, or over; then, to project, lie over, look forward; then, to overhang; and the idea here is that it bent over, or leaned forward to look at the necessities of than – as one does who is desirous of gazing at an object. There was an anxiety, so to speak, to come to the earth – to meet the human need. As the rain and the sunbeams seem anxious to bestow their blessings on man, so God seems anxious to bestow on man the blessings of salvation.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 85:11
Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
The moral prosperity of earth the joy of heaven
I. The history of earth will one day be characterized by moral prosperity. Truth–what a seed is this! The deadly foe of all falsehoods and wrongs, the root of virtue, the river of joy. Two things are implied in this growth of truth–
1. The preparation of the soil.
2. The implantation of the seed.
II. The moral prosperity of earth will be A source of delight to heaven. More joy . . . over one sinner, etc. What is the joy?
1. It is the joy of benevolence. A delight springing from the discovery of an increase of happiness in the universe.
2. It is the joy of piety. It is a delight to discover that, instead of a world of rebels, it is a world of loyal subjects. (Homilist.)
Gods purpose concerning the world
Heaven is the abode, the treasure-house of righteousness: it is filled with its riches, and no room is left for iniquity to enter. Truth is akin to righteousness–it is her daughter and her image; and when truth has covered the earth, even as righteousness clothes the heavens, this world and that, so long alienated in sympathy, and character, shall be one. Man shall bear the image of God, and earth shall be the reflection of heaven.
I. The Divine purpose. It is to reverse the moral state of things long prevalent among mankind.
1. Falsehood, and not truth, has had the ascendancy in our world, Falsehood has reigned in the regions of philosophy; and a thousand wild chimeras, the offspring of vigorous but wayward genius, have bewildered human minds. Portions of truth, gleams of light, playing amidst widespread darkness, have remained–the results of early impressions, the relies of primitive tradition, and the utterance of those instinctive tendencies and laws of mind, which nothing can completely crush; but error, various, manifold, portentous, gigantic error, has predominated and reigned.
2. The reversing of this scene forms the purpose unfolded in our text. What we have now been looking at reminds one of Vesuvius after an eruption, when the burning lava has transformed the surrounding region into a sulphureous lake, destroying the field and the garden, the village and the city. But, through the tender mercy of our God, the scene is to be changed; these fires are to be extinguished; a new moral soil, if I may so speak, is to be spread over the desolation of past ages; and then, quickened by the seeds of truth, and watered by the rains of reghteouness, the earth is to yield her increase, truth is to spring up and flourish, and so to clothe this lower world as to make it the counterpart of that upper one.
II. The partial realization of this purpose. The Gospel has not been 1800 years in the world for nothing. Its early triumphs were wonderful. Like an electric shock it passed through the Roman Empire. Superstition felt it; the heathen mythology lost its remaining hold on the public mind. Idolatry felt it, and the images of the gods were forsaken; philosophy felt it, and its vain and delusive speculations were dispelled. A revolution took place unparalleled in the history of the world. The religion of a few poor fishermen overturned the religion of priests, philosophers, and emperors. It altered the destiny of man; it gave a new impulse to the progress of civilization; it infused a fresh and healing element into society; it entered the family, and reformed domestic habits; it entered the region of literature, and shed upon it new light; it entered the halls of legislature, and improved the codes of nations; it entered the royal palace, and taught princes lessons of justice and mercy. Christianity thus strove to embody in man and society the beautiful picture sketched in my text; and to a very considerable extent, through the grace accompanying its proclamation, it realized its object. There were individuals, families, and churches, sanctified by truth, and rich in the fruits of righteousness. In all ages there have been such specimens! Blessed be God, they are numerous in the present day; perhaps more numerous than ever. They are to be found at home and abroad.
III. The future complete fulfilment. While man is eager, precipitate, longing to see the end of everything, God is saying, Wait! The end is hot yet; but it shall come. A glorious age of truth and righteousness shall come; the kingdom of Christ, in its power and glory, shall come. My counsel shall stand; and I will do all my pleasure. Nor is there, after all, any actual deferring or postponement of what God intends to do. God is not putting off what He once purposed to do earlier: He is fulfilling His first intentions; He is following out the original plan. There the intermediate steps were all marked, as well as the final issue. Indeed, the slowness of Gods work is only apparent. To us, who dwell upon the surface of the globe, its movements appear extremely slow–nay, it seems entirely stationary. Standing on the deck of our great world vessel, we feel not the motion of the mighty ship as it cuts its way through the infinite ocean of space; and it is only by the careful observation of the stars that we can realize and measure our progress; but in the eyes of God the earth is moving in its orbit with vast celerity, with a speediness of flight which mocks the arrow, and would startle us mortals, who are borne along by it, could we become fully sensible of its rushing pace. So the work of God in this world, for the consummation of the triumphs of truth and righteousness, seems slow to us; nay, sometimes may seem as though it had stopped; but, in the eye of Him who seeth the end from the beginning, it is swift, though tranquil; rapid like the planets, and like them tending to the accomplishment of its appointed round. (John Stoughton.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 11. Truth shall spring out of the earth] In consequence of this wonderful reconciliation, the truth of God shall prevail among men. The seeds of it shall be so plentifully sown by the preaching of Christ and his apostles that true religion shall be diffused over the world.
And righteousness shall look down from heaven.] And be delighted with the reformation of the sons of Adam; and shall be so satisfied with the glorious work which is carried forward, that,
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Truth shall spring out of the earth; either,
1. Truth among men, which shall be so common amongst all men, as if it grew out of the earth. Or rather,
2. The truth or faithfulness of God; which is most truly and fitly said to spring out of the earth, partly because it had long been hid and buried, like
a root in a dry ground, without any hopes of a reviving; from whence yet God made it to grow, as is noted, Isa 53:2; and partly because Christ, who is the truth, Joh 14:6, and a minister of the circumcision (i.e. of the circumcised, or of the Jews)
for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers, was born upon the earth of a virgins womb.
Righteousness shall look down from heaven; even Gods justice, which was offended with men, shall then be satisfied, and shall through Christ look down upon sinful men with a reconciled and smiling countenance.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
11. Earth and heaven shallabound with the blessings of this government;
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Truth shall spring out of the earth,…. Either the Gospel, the word of truth, which sprung up at once in the land of Judea, as if it came out of the earth; and from Zion and Jerusalem it came forth into the Gentile world: or else the truth of grace God desires in the inward parts, and which springs up in such who are like cultivated earth, or good ground, being made so by the Spirit and grace of God, particularly the grace of “faith”; by which some render the word q here, which springs up in the heart, and, with it, man believes to righteousness: or rather Christ himself, “who is the way, the truth, and the life”; who, though he is the Lord from heaven, yet may be said, with respect to his incarnation, to spring out of the earth, he taking flesh of the virgin: hence his human nature is said to be “curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth”; and “that new thing created in the earth”, Ps 139:15
and righteousness shall look down from heaven: the justice of God, or the righteous God, shall look down from heaven on Christ, the truth, in our nature on earth, with pleasure beholding his obedience, sufferings and death, sacrifice and righteousness; being well pleased with him, and with all he did and suffered, and with all his people, considered in him: these upright and righteous ones his countenance beholds with delight, as they are clothed with Christ’s righteousness, washed in his blood, and their sins expiated by his sacrifice, and as they are hoping in his mercy, and trusting in his Son.
q fides. Tigurine version, Musculus, Junius & Tremellius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The poet pursues this charming picture of the future further. After God’s , i.e., faithfulness to the promises, has descended like dew, , i.e., faithfulness to the covenant, springs up out of the land, the fruit of that fertilizing influence. And , gracious justice, looks down from heaven, smiling favour and dispensing blessing. in Psa 85:13 places these two prospects in reciprocal relation to one another (cf. Psa 84:7); it is found once instead of twice. Jahve gives , everything that is only and always good and that imparts true happiness, and the land, corresponding to it, yields , the increase which might be expected from a land so richly blessed (cf. Psa 67:7 and the promise in Lev 26:4). Jahve Himself is present in the land: righteousness walks before Him majestically as His herald, and righteousness , sets (viz., its footsteps) upon the way of His footsteps, that is to say, follows Him inseparably. stands once instead of twice; the construct is to a certain extent attractional, as in Psa 65:12; Gen 9:6. Since the expression is neither (Psa 50:23; Isa 51:10) nor (Isa 49:11), it is natural to interpret the expression thus, and it gives moreover (cf. Isa 58:8; Isa 52:12) an excellent sense. But if, which we prefer, is taken in the sense of (as e.g., in Job 4:20) with the following , to give special heed to anything (Deu 32:46; Eze 40:4; Eze 44:5), to be anxiously concerned about it (1Sa 9:20), then we avoid the supplying in thought of a second , which is always objectionable, and the thought obtained by the other interpretation is brought clearly before the mind: righteousness goes before Jahve, who dwells and walks abroad in Israel, and gives heed to the way of His steps, that is to say, follows carefully in His footsteps.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(11) Truth, or faithfulness, is here depicted as springing out of the earth, because the renewal of fertility has re-established the conviction of the faithfulness of Jehovah towards His people, which had been shaken.
Look down.Used of bending forwards as from a window or battlement (Son. 6:10, Note).
This righteousness (here in direct parallelism with faithfulness) had, as it were, been hidden like the sun behind a cloud, but now is seen showing its benign face once more in the skies.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. Truth shall spring out of the earth The “truth” of God shall take root in the hearts of men, and come forth to perfection. Mat 13:23; Mar 4:26-28.
Righteousness shall look down The parallelism running throughout this beautiful picture, supposes the earth the hearts of men responsive to the divine gifts. “Mercy,” “truth,” “righteousness,” and “peace” must all descend, primarily, from heaven, as the free gift of God, but they must reproduce themselves in the hearts of men, through repentance and faith, like good seed sprouting in the earth. The figure seems borrowed from Isa 14:8, which see.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 85:11 Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
Ver. 11. Truth shall spring out of the earth ] i.e. Heaven and earth shall be full both of truth and righteousness. Many understand all concerning Christ. See Joh 3:13 . Others, concerning extraordinary plenty of all good things.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
earth = land. Same word as verses: Psa 85:1, Psa 85:9, Psa 85:12.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Truth: Isa 4:2, Isa 45:8, Isa 53:2, Joh 14:6, 1Jo 5:20, 1Jo 5:21
righteousness: Isa 42:21, Mat 3:17, Mat 17:5, Luk 2:14, 2Co 5:21, Eph 1:6
Reciprocal: Psa 33:4 – all his Psa 57:10 – For Psa 72:3 – by righteousness Son 2:1 – the rose Isa 61:11 – so Rom 3:26 – that he Eph 4:21 – as Col 1:20 – having made peace Heb 7:2 – King of righteousness Rev 15:3 – just
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 85:11. Truth shall spring out of the earth Either, 1st, Truth among men, which shall be as common among all men as if it sprung out of the earth. Or rather, 2d, The truth or faithfulness of God, which may be truly said to spring out of the earth, partly because it had long been as if it were hid, and buried like a root in a dry ground, without any hopes of a reviving; from whence, yet God made it to grow, as is signified Isa 53:2; and partly, because Christ, who is the truth, Joh 14:6, and a minister of the circumcision, (that is, of the circumcised, or of the Jews,) for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers, was born on the earth of a virgin. And righteousness looked down from heaven Even Gods righteousness, or justice, which had been offended with men, shall then be satisfied, and shall, through Christ, look down upon sinful men with a reconciled and smiling countenance. When Christ appeared in our nature, says Dr. Horne, this promise was fulfilled, and Truth sprung out of the earth. And now Righteousness, looking down from heaven, beheld in him every thing she required; an undefiled birth, a holy life, an innocent death; a spirit and mouth without guile, a soul and body without sin. She saw and was satisfied, and returned to earth. Thus all the four parties met again in perfect harmony; Truth ran to Mercy, and embraced her; Righteousness to Peace, and kissed her. And this could only happen at the birth of Jesus, in whom the tender mercy of our God visited us, and who is the Truth; who is made unto us Righteousness, and who is our Peace. Those that are thus joined, as attributes in Christ, ought not, as virtues, to be separated in a Christian, who may learn how to resemble his blessed Lord and Master, by observing that short, but complete rule of life, comprehended in the few following words: show mercy, and speak truth; do righteousness, and follow peace.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
85:11 {g} Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
(g) Though for a time God thus exercises them with his rods, yet under the kingdom of Christ they should have peace and joy.